The Surprise: A Bat-family Story
by DCfan Girl Wonder
Summary: The Batfamily is planning a surprise party for Jason Todd, but it's interrupted when Tim Drake is kidnapped! Will it tear them apart or bring them closer together? Or will the challenge prove to hard for even them to take down by themselves? We don't own anything but the plot. Book 1 (Warning: Torture that is the only reason for the T rating otherwise clean)
1. Chapter 1

It was a dark night in Gotham a young man was perched on the roof of a building, _Wayne Enterprises_. He looked over the city as if he were looking for something, or someone. He looked like a biker, but with a red mask that covered his entire face. As he stood there brooding, a large dark shadow appeared behind him, "What are you doing here, Jason?" The shadow spoke.

The young man in the red hood looked up to him, not surprised, "Not much Bruce, how are Damian and Tim?"

"They-" Bruce started, but another voice interrupted him.

"Why don't you ask me yourself, Todd!" A much smaller shadow that had appeared from behind Bruce exclaimed angrily.

"Damia- Robin? What are you doing? I told you to stay in the cave!" Bruce Wayne, Batman, barked. Jason Todd, or Red Hood, replied with mockery, "Guess I'm not the only disobedient Robin!"

"Tt, I do what I want when I want to do it!" Robin said rolling his eyes. Batman glared at him, "You will do what _I_ want when _I_ say so," Batman continued but his voice softened from a growl to a fathering tone, "You are my son, Robin and I am your father. I am the boss."

Red Hood then lost it, he laughed as Bruce glared at him. "I have some business to attend to so… Bye!" Jason exclaimed as he jumped from the building. Bruce ran to the edge of the building and saw that Jason was grappling down to the ground with an amount of skill that could only be from a member of the bat-family. Bruce hid a smile before scowling once more and returned to Robin, whispering on a comm, "He is headed toward you Nightwing be ready."


	2. Chapter 2

At the Gotham police station, a young man and woman, both in costume, were waiting outside. They casually had their feet hanging off the building's edge looking out when the comm came to life, " _He is coming,_ " Then the comm went silent. The two turned to each other and nodded. They then leapt up from their spot and prepared for the arrival. Nightwing, or Dick Grayson, said to the woman, "Guess it's time!"

The woman, Batgirl aka Barbara Gordon, looked at Dick and smiled, "I don't like this."

"I know, but we have to," Dick replied, looking out at the ongoing traffic below them. Nightwing looked out trying to spot his younger brother he ended up thinking about the past they shared, the painful memories and the ones that made him laugh. He finally spots a red flash of light approaching, but one second to late as a boot comes down on his face.

"Nightwing!" Batgirl cried as Dick fell to the ground, Red Hood standing over him.

Red Hood sinisterly said, "Hello Grayson."

Dick spit out specks of blood onto the ground, "Jason."

The two stared at each other before leaping into combat. The two moved swiftly, throwing punches and kicks. Batgirl could just stare as the two men fought. Dick managed to kick Jason in the stomach, but Jason quickly retaliated with a punch to Dick's face. Dick groaned as he felt his lip start to swell. "Good hit," He panted, a small smile on his face. Red Hood was now on top of him, pinning him to the ground, "I win," Jason stated, clearly grinning under his mask. He got up from on top of Dick and let him get to his feet.

"How are you doing, other than the whole outlaw thing," Dick asked his brother.

"Fine. What about you? Is Batman still ordering you around, or are you doing your own thing?" Jason questioned.

"Batman is Batman, he orders everyone around, what else do you expect!" Dick chuckled, "I'm doing my own thing most of the time, working with Young Justice and in Bludhaven. I come back when I'm needed though."

"Huh, you actually got out of his shadow for once." Red Hood said with a slight tease in his voice.

"I was never in his shadow," Dick mumbled under his breath, crossing his arms.

"I heard that," Jason said, hands on hips in a mocking manner.

"Whatever," Dick grumbled.

"WHAT IS GOING ON!" Barbara finally spoke up, yelling at the two men, "One second you're fighting, and the next you're having a friendly chat! I don't understand you boys at all!"

"Ok, sorry…" Dick said shyly as he slightly blushed. Red Hood just looked interested as he stood silently watching to see what was going on between the off and on couple.

"Wow, I wasn't invited to the party? /" A mysterious voice shouted.

"TIM!" All three exclaimed looking in the direction of the voice. Tim leaped off of the air conditioner he was perched on, the cape of his Red Robin costume flowing behind him, and came to join the three. The three boys fist bumped and Tim hugged Batgirl.

"So, what's up?" Tim asked casually.

"I honestly have no idea, how did we all end up in Gotham at the same time? That never happens unless something BIG is happening in Gotham or well with the Bat-Family." Red Hood asked. When no one answered him, he sighed, "Well I guess that we're just that lucky."

Nightwing smiled at the three heroes (and anti hero) standing there,"Well we'll have to make the most of it I guess."

Tim frowned, "I have to meet a friend tonight."

Batgirl nodded, "I guess it's just you two, I have to go to a gala with my father." she rolled her eyes with a mock annoyance before smiling.

"Okay Grayson, where are we going?" Jason fake groaned as if he were dreading going

with him and then started to laugh. Nightwing smiled before thinking aloud, "Don't know, I hear you have a awesome bunker now though that I still haven't visited."

Red Hood sternly told him, "No," before Dick could protest.

"I should go…" Tim said awkwardly.

Red Hood caught his arm before he lept off of the building, "Where are you going?" he questioned.

"Uh…" Tim stutterted, "Uh… Nowhere!" He finally said. Red Hood seemed to eye him suspiciously. "Just kidding, I don't care!" Red Hood laughed, letting go of Red Robin's arm. Tim smiled slightly and jumped off the building.


	3. Chapter 3

"I don't see why we are doing this for him!" Damian shouts as he picks some streamers.

"Damian, it's his birthday. I bet he hasn't had one in years…" Bruce said somberly.

"And why does that mean I have to help!" Damian yelled at Bruce as they decorated Wayne Maynor. Bruce gave Damian a stern look and Damian backed down. He started to mumble under his breath something no one could hear. Barbara Gordon ran through the door exclaiming, "Okay Jason is distracted and I got the supplies for the punch."

She looked around at the decorated living room taking in all of the festive decorations. She smiled at Bruce and Damian who were hanging off the ceiling hanging streamers. Once Damian looked down at her he did a flip gracefully down and landed in a classic superhero landing. "Hello Barbara." he said with a formal tone. She handed him the box of supplies which he ran down the hall with and Barbara looked around the room once more stating, "This surprise birthday party for Jason will be awesome!"


	4. Chapter 4

Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, in civilian clothing, entered a room full of targets. _DING! DING! DING!_ The lights came on to show that the two men were at a laser tag field. Jason was smiling and as they exited the room a buzzer went off, "New Highscore." A lady's voice rang out over the speaker unenthusiastically.

Jason and Dick smiled as they walked to the counter and Jason announced, "I am the winner. Where are my tickets?" A man walked up and handed him 2,000 tickets. Jason handed the tickets to Dick who added them to their pile which was now up to 50,000 tickets.

Dick asked, "What are we going to do with these?"

Jason pointed to the top of the prize rack where a set of laser tag guns for a party sat. "For the bunker." He stated as he grabbed all the tickets setting them on the counter.

The man at the counter sighed as he went to grab a ladder. Minutes later Jason and Dick were walking out holding the laser tag set.

Dick asked, "What do you want to do next?" They both climbed onto their bikes and revved their engines. A buzz came from Dick's phone and he picked it up, "I have to take this, one sec Jason." Dick said smiling at Jason in a weird way. Jason looked trying to see who he was talking to or what they were talking about.

Dick looked back at Jason and sighed, "Babs needs help with something at the manor she said for you to come too." Jason grimaced at the thought of going to Wayne Manor. Jason dramatically said, "Fine, but on one condition." as Dick nodded, "I get one of Alfred's cookies." Dick chuckled and nodded as they both zoomed off to Wayne Manor where almost all of the bat-family was waiting.


	5. Chapter 5

As Alfred, Bruce, Damian, and Barbara waited for the rest of the family Barbara asked the one question that was bugging them all, "Where is Tim, he was supposed to be here two hours ago to help set up and bring stuff for cookies!"

Bruce looked at her and seriously stated, "Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking. Tim is probably running late for a good reason. If he's not here soon I'll call him." Bruce looked concerned, he looked like he was keeping something from them. Damian looked at his father suspiciously before sneaking away from the decorated entry room that they were standing in.

Damian walked into the main study where he stopped over to a grandfather clock. He turned the hands to a code and the clock slid out of the way letting Damian walk down the hidden stairs and into the Batcave.

Damian walked to the main computer flipping to a screen that had GPS of all of the people important to Bruce. When he looked at the screen he dropped to his knees and words formed on his lips inaudible to anyone. Rage filled the Damian as he called his Father into the cave.

Tim Drake's tracker was deactivated which could only mean one thing. He had to be in the one place where not even Batman could not get GPS signals from. Ra's al Ghul's Lair. Damian knew that his Grandfather was back and he had Red Robin. Ra's al Ghul had Tim Drake and the party upstairs would have to wait.


	6. Chapter 6

Two bikes pulled up in front of Wayne Manor. As Dick and Jason dismounted and headed into the house Jason knew something was up. He watched Dick as he beamed at him. "What is going on?" Jason finally asked irritated. Dick smiled as he walked up to the huge door in the front of the Manor. He swung open the door and yelled, "Surprise!" before looking at the empty room and frowning. "That wasn't supposed to happen was it?" Jason asked looking at the decorated room.

Dick's phone dinged as he got a text message from Bruce, "GET TO THE CAVE NOW!" it said in all caps.

Dick grabbed Jason by the arm and ran to the Grandfather clock. As he ran down the stairs he saw Barbara and Damian pacing and Bruce at the computer with Alfred sitting beside him looking like he might puke. Dick and Jason looked at the screen where a dot was missing. Jason yelled, "What is going on!" as Bruce turned around. "Tim has been taken by Ra's al Ghul." Bruce said in a small angry voice. That voice is something that Dick had not heard since Barbara had been shmand paralyzed.

As the brothers let Bruce's words sink in they ran to the computer trying to find a way to help.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been six hours since anyone had seen Tim on the roof of the police building. While the Batplane was being fueled the members of the batfamily dispersed looking for clues.

Meanwhile Tim was in a dark room he tried to stand but realized he was bound to a chair. His hands were tied behind the chair and his ankles, tied to the legs. He struggled against the restraints, but they wouldn't come loose. "Don't bother, bird," Tim knew that voice. The Joker. He struggled even more, thrashing, desperately trying to break free. The Joker came towards him, crowbar in hand. He knew what this meant. He was going to beat him to a pulp and probably leave him to die, like Jason. He remembered what happened to Jason. Kidnapped. Beaten. Then the Joker blew him up. "Calm down!" The Joker laughed, "The worst part is yet to come!"

"Get away from me you sick creep!" Tim spat. The threat did nothing but make the Joker laugh harder than ever.

"The little bird is making threats! How cute!" The Joker laughed. Tim struggled even harder, tears forming in his eyes. He wanted to go home. To the Batcave. To Wayne Manor. To anywhere but here. The Joker was now a foot away from him. He raised the crowbar above his head, ready to strike. "Where should I hit you first? The knee or gut?" The Joker's grin sickened Tim. How could someone be so joyful about torture? Tim already knew the answer. Someone so crazy, they were beyond helping. Their mind would never heal. All they wanted to do was cause chaos. Killing anyone in their way. That was what the Joker was. The worst kind of human.

"Why do you even want me here?" Tim asked, his voice cracking. He fought hard to hold back the tears.

"I don't want you," The Joker answered, "But he does," He pointed behind him and another familiar face appeared. Ra's al Ghul. Damian's grandfather. His green cape flowed behind him.

"Hmm…" Ra's al Ghul looked over Tim, studying him. He touched the underside of Tim's chin with two fingers and lifted up his head. Tim quickly moved his head away from Ra's al Ghul's long fingers. "You can put down the crowbar, Joker. We don't want to hurt him…. Yet," The way Ra's al Ghul said 'yet' made Tim shiver. What was he planning? He heard the Joker sigh and drop the crowbar into the floor. It landed with a loud clang and the Joker sat on a large wooden crate. "Don't worry Joker. You'll have your fun," Ra's Al Ghul said.

"Why!" Tim screamed, "Why me!"

Ra's Al Ghul chuckled, "You'll find out soon enough… Detective."


	8. Chapter 8

"We have to find him!" Bruce's voice cracked, as if he was on the verge of tears.

"We will," Dick said gently, placing a hand on Bruce's shoulder. Jason was out looking for Tim, along with Barbara and Damian.

Slowly, tears rolled down Bruce's emotionless face, "I can't lose another Robin. Not after Jason." Dick started to tear up too. "Master Wayne, is this a bad time," Alfred asked. He had just walked into the room.

Bruce wiped the tears from his face, "No. No it's fine. What is it?"

"We have a hit on Tim," Alfred said. Bruce stared at him, shocked.

"Where- Where is he?" Bruce asked hopefully. Alfred looked at him, his eyes said.

"Master Bruce…. He's with- with the Joker and Ra's Al Ghul. Damian managed to track down their hideout, but by the time he got there, they were gone. Tim too," Bruce's face fell to one of desperation.

"What if they kill him?" Bruce whispered.

"They won't," Dick spoke, "If they have him, then they need something." Dick stood beside Bruce and hugged him tight, "It'll be okay. We'll get him back. I promise. Just stay traught." Dick halfheartedly laughed.

"What would I do without you two?" Bruce said looking up at Dick and Alfred.

Alfred gave him a small smile, "I have no idea Master Bruce,"


	9. Chapter 9

The Joker and Ra's al Ghul had brought Tim to new location. Tim didn't know why. They were now in a cave. There was a waterfall and small stream near the back of the cave and platforms all around. It reminded Tim of the Batcave, but darker, eviler. Something he never thought was possible. The Joker and Ra's al Ghul were talking with each other, to far away for Tim to hear. Tim saw this as a chance to escape.

Though the Joker had stripped him of his tool belt, he had forgotten the small pocket knife that Tim always hides in a secret pocket of his costume. Tim reached through the spaces of the back of chair until he reached the pocket. He winced as the rope dug into his wrists. Somehow he managed to pull the knife out of the pocket without dropping it. Tim, struggling, but still managing to cut the rope, looked back towards the two villains. They were still talking, not paying him any attention, a big mistake on their part. Tim felt the rope fall away from his hands and he leaned forward to cut his ankles free.

Shortly after, he had cut the rope and stood up as quietly as he could. He looked around for an exit. He quickly found one, but the problem was, he had to run across the cave. He had to run by the Joke and Ra's al Ghul without getting caught. He looked for any other possible exits, but failed to find one, this was his only option. His only chance. He bolted. He ran as fast as his legs would let him. He heard Ra's al Ghul and the Joker shout behind him and heard their footsteps. _A little more_ , he told himself, _just a little further_. Suddenly, something hit him from behind. He fell to the ground, smacking his head against the hard rock. Ra's al Ghul was standing over him, so was the Joker. The blood drained from Tim's face. The Joker was holding his crowbar, smacking it against his palm. "Joker," Ra's al Ghul grinned, "I think we better teach this bird a lesson. Show him what happens when disobedient captives try to escape…"

* * *

Damian was frustrated. His grandfather, Ra's al Ghul had taken Tim Drake and even worse, had hired the Joker. Damian was in a small dark room getting samples. He knew they were here but where were they now?

Damian sighed and hung his head, eyes growing moist. He sniffled trying to hold the tears back. He was focusing so hard that he didn't hear Barbara sneak up on him, "This isn't your fault." Barbara said in her Batgirl costume.

Damian smiled sadly at her, "But it is." he said, "I need to tell you something."


	10. Chapter 10

**The chapters are going to be longer now, I am sorry that they were so short before. We were publishing this story on a different website as we wrote them which was not very fast and I was just publishing them like I had been on there.**

All of the Bat-family was gathered in the batcave. They were all staring at Tim's empty chair in the corner. Finally, Dick spoke up, "So, you had something to tell us." he looked at Damian who suddenly looked ten times smaller. "Yes, I know why my grandfather is doing this," he paused looking across the room before Dick nodded at him. Damian went on deflating, "My grandfather approached me three weeks ago. He said he wanted me to come back to the League of Assassins."

Bruce visibly flinched. Bruce asked Damian, "Why didn't you tell me?" Damian looked like he was trying to become a part of the chair. "I told him no, that I wouldn't go back. This is my home." Damian's voice cracked as he told his family the last sentence.

Damian looked like he was going to cry as he continued his story, getting sympathetic looks, "Then he attacked me. He told me I was not worthy to be his grandson or his heir. As we fought I was in position to strike him and instead I scraped his cheek. He frowned at me and told me that he would get me back. Then he disappeared but not before telling me to enjoy my new family… while I had you," He started to cry so hard that no one could hear him saying over and over again, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He was soon surrounded by five hugs.

* * *

 **Warning Torture Scene (I'm sorry, I really am)**

Tim cowered before the Joker. The Joker raised his crowbar and slammed it down, hitting Tim in the stomach. Tim opened his mouth to scream, but it just came out as a barely audible groan. Tim felt as if his ribs were broken, which they probably were. The Joker hit him again and again. Tim spit blood onto the stone. He tried to crawl away, but the Joker grabbed his leg and dragged him back. It was getting hard for him to breath now. The Joker hit him again. This time Tim managed to shriek in pain. The Joker laughed. The Joker was about to hit him again when Ra's al Ghul grabbed his arm gently, forcing him to lower the crowbar. Tim couldn't move. The pain was too much for him. He felt as if his lungs were on fire, and his ribs were shattered to pieces. He groaned, blood streaming from his nose, "We need him alive, Joker," Ra's al Ghul said, "I told you, you will have your fun, but not yet. Not now." Ra's al Ghul turned away. The Joker glanced at Tim sprawled across the cave's floor, "You're lucky little bird, see you soon," and quickly followed behind Ra's al Ghul throwing the crowbar beside Tim's head.

Tim heard Ra's al Ghul and the Joker talking, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. After a while, Ra's al Ghul walked over to him. He reached down to Tim and lifted him up. Tim's body ached, he winced in pain as Ra's al Ghul placed him across his shoulder. He brought Tim back to the chair and tied him back up, using more ropes and securing them tighter, "Don't try that again," Ra's al Ghul said through gritted teeth.

As Ra's left the room Tim hung his head, his sobs echoing through the cave. He cried until he fell asleep sitting in the chair. His dreams were full of home and his family. He missed Bruce and the others. He slept until the next day when the real pain would come.

When he woke he saw Ra's al Ghul sitting in front of him with a with a wicked smile, "Time for some answers," his voice dripped with evil intentions.

* * *

Stephanie Brown, aka The Spoiler, dismounted her bike as she arrived at Wayne Manor. She hadn't heard from Tim in four days and she was starting to get concerned. She knocked on the front door and Alfred answered it but, as she looked at him she could tell he had been crying.

"What's wrong?" she asked, panicking.

Alfred frowned and asked, frustrated, "Has no one told you?" Stephanie shook her head. Alfred sighed, "Come in. We'll catch you up," Alfred let Stephanie inside and led her to the living room. The Bat-family was sitting on the couches and chairs, fresh tears covering their faces. Stephanie stopped in her tracks, anger boiling inside her.

"Why are you all just sitting here!" She yelled, " We should be looking for Tim! He's still out there you know!"

Bruce glared at her and stood up, "We tried! It's almost impossible for us to track him. Ra's al Ghul and the Joker covered their tracks," His eyes started to get watery again and he sat down, holding his head in his hands.

"I might be able to," Damian spoke up. Everyone in the room looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked. Damian stared at the ground.

"I- I might be able to set up a meeting with my grandfather. I can tell him I have reconsidered his offer about joining the League of Shadows," Damian explained.

"How would that help us find Tim?" Stephanie asked, her hands on her hips. She stared at Damian, waiting for him to answer, but it took him a while.

"I tell him that I'll join the League of Shadows… In return… He releases Tim," Damian held back tears, still looking at his feet. He couldn't bare to look at his family.

"No! Absolutely not!" Bruce exclaimed. He then softened his voice, "I- I can't lose another son. I've lost too many," He glanced at Jason, who had taken off his mask.

"Bruce, this may be the only way. If Damian's willing to…" Jason started.

"I've already said no Jason. I will not put Damian danger," Bruce interrupted him.

"What about me, huh? You didn't seem to care as much when I was in danger!" Jason raised his voice.

"That was different!" Bruce said.

"Hey, hey. Calm down," Dick said. Bruce and Jason stared at him, "We can send Damian to meet with Ra's al Ghul, but we only make him believe that Damian's joining him. Damian will make the deal for Tim and once Ra's al Ghul brings him out, and only if he does. We can attack him and get both Damian and Tim out of there," Dick explained. The whole room was silent, thinking about his words.

"Okay, we'll do it, but only if Damian agrees," Bruce said, looking at Damian. Damian said nothing, only nodding his head in agreement.

"It's agreed then," Dick said, "Damian, find a way to contact Ra's al Ghul, and fast. We're doing this tonight."


	11. Chapter 11

Tim groaned as he woke up in a new space. The area they were in was dark and it took Tim only a moment to adjust, feeling at home in the darkness. He quickly looked at his surroundings taking in all he could. Ra's al Ghul emerged from the shadows, "Awake, Detective?" He asked.

Tim looked up at him, glaring. A trail of dried blood led from his nose to his chin. "What do you want Ra's al Ghul?" Tim asked trying to hide the waver in his voice from the lack food and water, not to mention the torture he had experienced in the past few days. Ra's al Ghul smiled and told him with fake pity, "You will soon find that the family is crumbling without you. They are coming up with a way to find you. They will soon find it is in vain. My grandson will be here shortly. I am sure he will explain." He smirked at Tim's horrified expression and then left the room, leaving Tim to worry about his brother.

* * *

The Bat-family was a couple blocks away from the Joker and Ra's al Ghul's hideout. They were preparing to send Damian to the meeting with Ra's al Ghul. "Damian, be safe," Batman said in an abnormally soft voice.

Then, as if they all vanished into thin air, all of the Bat-family disappeared leaving Damian and Jason alone on top of a shorter building. "Why do villains always choose warehouses as bases? It makes no sense!" Jason laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Damian looked over at Jason tears forming in his eyes that he had been hiding for the past several minutes, "Do you think this will work?" Damian asked shyly, his voice cracking.

Jason got in his knees so he could look Damian in the eye, "Damian, I want to tell you a story. When I was young… When I was Robin, I was foolish. I went after the Joker, by myself. I was captured, beaten, and blown up. I died, but was lucky enough to have a second chance. Tim might not have that second chance. So, I want you to go in there, and bring our annoying know-it-all brother home. For me and Batman and everyone else. If anyone can do it, you can," Damian began to walk away and Jason pulled him into an awkward hug, "You can do it Damian," Jason let go of Damian. Damian stared at Jason for a moment and then nodded. Jason then used his grappling gun and launched himself towards the warehouse.

* * *

"Finally, you have come, my grandson," Damian entered the dark warehouse as Ra's al Ghul approached him, "Have you reconsidered my offer?" He asked cruelly.

"Yes, but on one condition," Damian waited until Ra's al Ghul gestured for him to continue, "I will only join you if you return Timothy."

Ra's al Ghul thought about the deal, "Fine," He clapped his hands and the Joker came out, pushing a chair in front of him. Damian gasped as Tim's almost lifeless looking body slumped in the chair, blood dried around him.

"He might be a little broken," The Joker laughed, "But I think he'll be fine."

"Thank you Joker, you can go," Ra's al Ghul said in a disapproving tone. The Joker bowed and turned to leave.

"Tim!" Damian yelled, secretly signalling to the Bat-family that Tim was here. He tried to run to Tim, but Ra's al Ghul blocked his path.

"No, no little one. Not until you make the deal," Ra's al Ghul said darkly, holding his arm out to create a barrier between Damian and Tim. Tim looked up weakly and when he saw Damian he tried to scream through his gag, "It's a trap!" but Damian couldn't hear him and Tim lost consciousness again.

Damian looked at his brother, his eyes showing how much he wanted to run over to him and free him. "Then let's get this over with," Damian said, holding out his hand for Ra's al Ghul to shake.

"A hand shake isn't going to cut it," Ra's al Ghul said, pushing Damian's hand away. Then a long contract and pen appeared out of nowhere in front of Ra's al Ghul. He caught them and handed them to Damian, "This contract will bind you to the League of Shadows. You won't be able to leave this time."

Damian stared, shocked. How was the plan supposed to work now? He glanced around, trying to find his family, but he couldn't see them. He was trapped.

* * *

The Bat-family was watching the meeting between Damian and Ra's al Ghul. They were up in the rafters of the warehouse, waiting for Damian's signal. "Why do we have to hide up here?" Jason asked quietly.

"Because Jason, we couldn't risk the Joker finding us if he was patrolling the ground," Bruce whispered angrily. Suddenly Damian yelled, "Tim!". The Bat-family rushed to the edge of the rafter. They could see Tim. The first signal had been sent.

They watched as the conversation between Damian and his grandfather dragged on. Then, a contract and pen appeared. They watched as Ra's al Ghul gave it to Damian, "What's happening?" Dick asked, looking over at Bruce.

"It's a contract that binds people to the League of Shadows. We have to get Tim and Damian out of there. No-!" Jason whispered urgently. They all froze when they heard the cocking of a gun. They turned around to see the Joker, holding a gun to Jason's head.

"Don't move Batsy, or this one might die under you watch twice," The Joker laughed. His finger was poised on the trigger, ready to shoot.

"Don't do this Joker. We'll come with you, just don't hurt him," Bruce said, gesturing to the people around him.

"Awww! How sweet! The big bad Batman wants to protect his flock!" The Joker said. Bruce lowered his head, too ashamed to look at his family. He had surrendered. He didn't even put up a fight. He had let down Tim. He had let down Damian. He was supposed to rescue them. He had failed.

The Joker led the heroes down to the warehouse floor. Damian was on the ground his sword on the ground beside him. Blood was pouring out of a wound on his arm. While they were distracted, Damian must have started a fight. A fight he knew he would lose. Tim was strapped to a chair, unconscious, bruised, and bloody, but alive.

"Look at that! The family's all here!" Ra's al Ghul smiled wide. He was holding his sword, blood was dripping off of the blade.

"Why? Why bring all of us here when you're just going to kill us?" Bruce asked curiously.

"I never wanted to kill you, you are a respectable enemy. I just needed you for the next phase of my plan," Ra's al Ghul explained.


	12. Chapter 12

They were all tied up. They all had separate chairs. Damian was still bleeding, but it wasn't as bad as before. He was conscious, which was a good sign, at least he was alive. Tim on the other hand was pale, his breathing shallow, he was still unconscious. "Glad you're awake, Grandson. You're a very important part of my plan," Ra's al Ghul said, noticing Damian.

"Why," Damian croaked, "Why do you need all of us? Just take me. Let everyone else go."

Ra's al Ghul laughed, "You really think I'm that dumb, don't you. As soon as I let your family go, they would just find me again and get you back."

"Then at least let Tim go. He's not apart of this," Dick spoke up, "He needs medical attention or else he'll die."

"You are such a good big brother aren't you, but can't you see? Your brother was apart of the plan all along. This was his role," Ra's al Ghul explained, "We don't even need him anymore," Ra's al Ghul began laughing once he saw Dick glaring at him, "Joker!" Ra's al Ghul called, "Come here!" Shortly after the Joker came, his crowbar in hand, "Take him away," Ra's al Ghul gestured to Tim.

"No! You can't take him!" Bruce pleaded, to which Ra's al Ghul smirked.

"Watch me," Ra's al Ghul said in a dark tone. He ignored the other heroes' pleas as he and the Joker untied Tim's unconscious body and dragged him away.

"This is all my fault," The Bat-family looked over to Damian. They could barely hear him his voice was so low.

"Why would this be you fault Damian?" Dick asked gently.

"I- I'm the reason we're all here. I came up with the plan," Damian answered, "My plan. My fault." Bruce stared at his son, unable to believe that Damian would blame himself for something that they didn't even control. Until he realized that is what he would do. It was what he did after every mission that went wrong.

"Damian, we had no control over the actions of the Joker and Ra's al Ghul. It was their choice and their fault. Not yours. Not mine. Nobody's fault but theirs," Bruce looked at Damian, his voice firm and leaving no room for discussion.

"Bu- But Tim. He's going to die because of me. Our brother. My- my brother," Damian began to cry, "I- I'm sorry. I- I've failed you all."

* * *

Tim was waking up, barely holding onto his consciousness. "How do we want to… dispose of him?" Tim recognized the Joker's voice. He tried to move, but quickly realised he couldn't. It was too painful.

"I told you Joker. You'll have your fun. This is your moment." Ra's al Ghul was the one to speak. Tim didn't know where the villains were. He could barely see, his vision was too blurry. All he knew was that he was sprawled across a warehouse floor about to be killed. Where was Batman? His brothers? Anyone that could help him?

Tim could barely hold on to his consciousness and couldn't hear as Ra's al Ghul's Last words before he exited the building, "Don't kill him, Joker, or your pain will be twice as much as his."

"We are going to have so much fun!" The Joker squealed. Tim didn't even have to see him. He knew the Joker had his trusty crowbar. He shivered at the thought, ' _Just like Jason, I'm going to die just like Jason. But I won't be resurrected this time…'_ All of sudden, the Joker's crowbar collided with Tim's gut. Tim shrieked in pain, and tucked into a fetal position. The Joker hit him again, this time in the back. Tim shrieked again. Everything stung. Everything hurt. He couldn't hold on for long. The Joker hit him a couple more times. Tim had to think quick, or else he would die. He went still, holding his breath. He was going to trick the Joker. Make him think that he was dead. He could escape. Rescue everyone else. The Joker noticed his stillness and stopped hitting him. He stared curiously at Tim, then smiled, "Pretending to be dead, huh, well we'll see about that!" The Joker pulled out a gun and cocked it. Tim knew it was directed towards him, "If you're really dead, you won't flinch," The Joker said. He pulled the trigger, the bang was loud, almost deafening Tim. He could feel the bullet. It didn't hurt, but he could feel it, "Huh… Guess you're really dead. Ra's is going to be mad I killed another of you birdbrains," The Joker laughed and pocketed his gun and left Tim. Tim sighed with relief, but still didn't dare move.


	13. Chapter 13

The whole family was shocked. Damian was crying while Dick whispered comforting words to him. Bruce was staring at the room that the Joker took Tim into, wondering about his son. Jason was plotting his revenge. He was going to kill the Joker after this. He would make sure of it. Suddenly, shrieks from the next room echoed around them. They stared at the door. It was Tim. The shrieks got louder and louder, then, a bang. A gunshot. Tim. Red Robin. All of the family's memories with him rushed through their heads. He was gone. He had to be. The Joker emerged from the room, smiling. Blood splatter stained his clothes, "Well that was fun!" He said cheerfully. He threw his crowbar to the ground and looked at the family.

"Why? Why him? He did nothing to you!" Bruce screamed. Tears were threatening to stream down his face. The others were screaming too, but the Joker ignored them, he only wanted to hear what the great, big, Batman had to say.

"Aww, Batsy, you're gonna make me cry," The Joker teased. He looked over at Jason, who couldn't even face him, "How does it feel to know that you failed to protect your brother? To protect what mattered most? To protect your family?" Jason lunged for the Joker, but the restraints and the chair stopped him. He cursed loudly and tried to fight off the ropes that bound him.

"You know nothing about me or my family Joker!" Jason yelled, "How dare you do this to them! To me! To my brother! You will die for this and I'll make sure it's slow and painful! One that will be remembered!" Jason seemed to grin mischievously.

"I love slow and painful deaths! Reminds me a lot of yours!" The Joker laughed. Jason, once again, tried to free himself, but, once again, failed. The Joker then turned to Dick, "How about you? You've lost two of your brothers. I bet you'll feel even worse when you lose a third," The Joker glanced at Damian who was now having a small panic attack.

"No! If you touch him, I swear…" Dick threatened.

"Ha! You'd never break dearest Batsy's number one rule! You won't kill me. None of you will. You all care too much about your dear Uncle J," The Joker smiled, then turned to Jason, frowning, "Except you. You never really cared much for rules. That's why you were always my favorite. An easy target," Jason was struggling against the ropes so hard now that his wrists were bleeding, "Easy Hood. We don't need you to bleed out right before his big plan," The Joker said.

"I don't care," Jason said, still struggling.

"Whatever," The Joker said, turning to Bruce, "You lost another one Batsy. I thought you were supposed to protect them," The Joker taunted, "Guess I was wrong," He shrugged and turned away from the heroes, "Now I have a dead bird I have to get rid off," The Joker went into the next room. The one he brought Tim into. The one he killed Tim in.

* * *

Tim had escaped. The bullet wound in his leg still hurt and he could barely move it, but Tim had still managed to escape. There were boxes in the room. He crawled to one and managed to hide inside of it. The Joker would never find him. There would be no blood trail. No trace. He had stopped the bleeding long ago. He flinched when the door opened. He heard footsteps. They were quiet at first, but then they became more frantic. It was the Joker.

"Where are you Bird!" He yelled. He started to hit boxes with his crowbar. The Joker was getting closer. Tim's heart was pounding. Finally, the Joker got to Tim's box. He hit it hard. Tim tried to stay as still as possible. He couldn't get caught. The Joker listened, then moved on. As the Joker moved farther away, Tim breathed once more, letting the air flood into his aching lungs. The Joker's footsteps became quieter, until Tim could barely hear them. Then, the door to the room slammed shut. The Joker was gone.

* * *

The family sat in silence. Tim. One of them. A part of their family. He was gone. Dead. They would never see him again. Then, the Joker opened the door and marched through. He stomped towards Bruce, fury in his eyes. He grabbed Bruce's costume and pulled him closer to his face. "Where is he Bat! Where is your little Bird!" The Joker yelled.

"What do you mean?" Bruce responded. The Joker's eyes opened wide.

"You kno- You really don't know Batsy?" He asked.

"No. All I know is that you killed one of my son's in cold blood," Bruce said through gritted teeth. The Joker stared at him for a moment.

"Then how do you explain his so-called 'dead body' just getting up and leaving!" The Joker exclaimed.

"He- He must be alive! He must have escaped!" Bruce said cheerfully. The Joker was fuming. He slapped Bruce, leaving a large red handprint on his cheek.

"You'll pay for this!" The Joker yelled. He left the room once again, leaving the heroes alone. Bruce lowered his head, his cheek stung from where the Joker's hand connected with his face.

"Bruce, are you okay?" Dick asked gently. Bruce looked at him, smiling.

"Tim! Tim is alive!" He laughed. Dick had never really seen Bruce laugh, even after all the years that he knew him. Honestly, it scared him a little, but Tim was alive. The mission had been a partial success. Dick smiled and whispered to where no one could hear him, "Get out safe Little Wing,"


	14. Chapter 14

Tim was searching for a way out of the dark room when he noticed a small air vent that led right outside. Tim quickly removed the plating and got on his knees. He winced in pain everytime one of the sides of the small metal tunnel hit him, but quickly made it out into the fresh air. Tim smiled widely as he held in a squeal. He had made it out. He was safe. He stood up, wincing. He had to get help. His family needed him. He limped away from the warehouse. Going down many flights of stairs and wincing every time. Once on the streets, people began staring at him. He ignored them and trudged on.

It felt like hours, but eventually he reached Wayne Manor. The large building looked ominous in the dark, the only light being from the lights on the side of the road and from in the manor. He went up to the front door and rang the doorbell. He was panting, his face drenched in sweat. His leg stung so bad that he felt that he might collapse at any moment. Alfred answered the door, worry plastered on his face, but once he saw Tim he smiled so wide that it looked like it took up all of his face. He hugged Tim so tight that Tim almost screamed in pain. "Master Tim! You're back!" He said cheerfully. Once he noticed that Tim was in pain, he let go of him, "Let's get you inside." He led Tim inside. Tim limped beside him until they reached the living room. Stephanie and Barbara were sitting on one of the couches quietly whispering to each other. When they saw Tim, their faces lit up. They rushed over to him and hugged him. Tim winced again. They two women noticed and quickly let go.

"What happened?" Stephanie asked frantically. She noticed his blood stained leg and that he was clutching his ribs, "Tim… What did he do to you…" Stephanie softened her voice, staring into Tim's eyes. Tim couldn't look at her.

"He needs to lie down, Stephanie," Barbara said, placing her hand on Stephanie's shoulder. They led Tim to one of the couches and he laid down. It hurt to breath, but he was glad he was home. The only problem was that the rest of the Bat-family wasn't here. He needed them here. He loved them. They were his family. His only family left.

* * *

Bruce was smiling. Well as much as Batman could smile. He couldn't stop. Tim, his son, was alive! Damian wasn't crying anymore, a slight smile was appearing on his face. Everyone was smiling now, even though they were tied up. They didn't care. Not now. The only thought that went through their heads were that Tim was alive. He had escaped and was safe. Then, Ra's al Ghul walked into the room. His face was red and his eyes were filled with hatred. "I heard what happened to your Bird, Batman. I'm impressed that he lived," His voice was calm, but it still sounded like he could burst into a screaming fit at any second. "But what I really want to know is how did he escape. He was injured, he must of had help."

"He's a strong kid. He can get through anything if he tries," Bruce answered smugly. Ra's al Ghul glared at him.

"So then where is he? Tell me Bat!" Ra's al Ghul raised his voice. "Tell me or I will kill one of your precious Birds!" Ra's al Ghul lunged toward Dick and grabbed him by the throat. Ra's al Ghul began to squeeze, choking Dick.

"I don't know!" Bruce cried, "He could be anywhere in Gotham! Gotham is his home, he knows where to go." As soon as Bruce said it, he regretted it. Ra's al Ghul smiled evilly and let go of Dick. Dick coughed and looked at Bruce his expression one of worry.

"Thank you Bat. I'll start looking," Ra's al Ghul turned around and walked out of the room.

"What have I done?" Bruce said frantically, "I've put Tim in even more danger!" Bruce put on an expressionless face. Now they were in trouble.

"Bruce, Ra's al Ghul wouldn't look in the Manor," Dick said.

"That's the first place he would look," Damian spoke up.

Dick glared at him, "Not helping Dami."

"Damian's right. Unless we can get in touch with Tim, he'll be captured again. And- and killed," Bruce said, voice slightly wavering, "I've failed him, and I've failed all of you."


	15. Chapter 15

Tim rested on the sofa. He didn't dare try to sleep, or even close his eyes. Everytime he did he would just see the Joker with his crowbar ready to hit him. He stared at the ceiling, imagining what could be happening to his family and wishing he had the strength to save them, to get up and fight. He groaned as Alfred appeared in the room with fresh bandages and some cookies, "Master Tim, sit up and let me apply these bandages," Alfred told him.

Tim complied and sat up, finding that Stephane was sitting in the corner looking at him expectantly. She looked mad and Tim didn't know exactly what to say until she broke the silence, "Do you know how worried I was?" she yelled at Tim. Tim flinched at her words muttering, "Sorry, Steph," before he got louder and yelled, "I missed you, okay! But I don't think it was my fault that I got kidnapped!" He looked at her and she deflated before sighing, "I know, sorry." Then the room fell into a tense silence with only the sound of Alfred bandaging Tim's wounds.

Then Barbara entered the living room she looked at Tim with a fire burning in her eyes. "Where is Dick?" She asked Tim, looking like she was trying not to cry. Tim suddenly tensed up, remembering where the rest of the Bat-family was and how much trouble they were in.

"He and everyone else are in Ra's al Ghul and the Joker's lair. They were captured trying- trying to save me," Tim looked at the floor. His vision was starting to get blurry with tears.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Wonder who that could be?" Stephanie got up and walked to the door. She opened it a little and immediately tried to slam it shut, but a hand slid through and pushed it open, sending Stephanie flying to the floor.

Tim had heard the noise and limped over to the entrance hall, Barbara following behind him, "Stephanie!" He yelled, seeing her on the floor.

"Hello, Bird," Tim froze, shock and fear spreading throughout his whole body. Ra's al Ghul stood in front of him, wielding a katana. Barbara immediately jumped into action and lunged at Ra's al Ghul. She dodged swings from his sword and threw punches at him.

Tim couldn't move. He kept seeing the endless torture. It kept replaying in his mind. The crowbar. The gun. The pain.

"Tim," Stephanie's voice snapped him out of his trance, "You have to get out of here! Ra's al Ghul is after you and as long as you're alive, he'll be hunting you."

"But what about you and Barbara?" Tim asked. Barbara was handling Ra's al Ghul, but she was quickly getting tired. The sword was getting closer and closer to hitting her.

"We can hold him of in time for you to escape," Stephanie said.

"What happens after that?" Tim didn't want to think about it.

"We'll figure it out. Now go!" Stephanie quickly pushed Tim's question aside and jumped into the fight with Barbara. Tim looked back at them before limping away as fast as he could.

Ra's al Ghul quickly noticed the injured boy getting away. "Get out of my way!" He roared. He swatted Barbara away and kicked Stephanie into the wall. He began to run after Tim, who was now out of sight. Ra's al Ghul searched every room, in every nook and cranny, but he couldn't find the boy. In the last room he checked, the window was open. Was it possible that he escaped out of it? Ra's al Ghul knew that the boy was smart and had probably left the window open as a decoy, but what if he hadn't? What if he really had gone out the window? Ra's al Ghul couldn't let him escape, not again. He took the chance and leapt out of the window, landing silently on his feet. All around him were dark woods, the boy could be anywhere. The road that lead to the main road was all the way at the front of the house, while he was in the back. There was no way the boy had made it all the way to the front, not in his condition. He had to be in the woods, in a tree or maybe even behind one. It would take ages for Ra's al Ghul to find him.

* * *

Tim limped down the dark stairs, wincing with every step. He hoped Ra's al Ghul had bought that he was in the woods, but he knew it would only distract him for a few hours. He needed to get to the Batcomputer. He tried his best not to scream, the pain he felt was almost unbearable. Once he had reached the Batcomputer he was already out of breath. He needed to rest, but now was _not_ the time. He quickly typed something and hit enter. It was a message. After the message was sent a name popped up, _Cassandra Cain_. Tim breathed a sigh of relief, help was on the way. He sat in the chair in front of Batcomputer, his whole body stung and blood was starting to show through his bandages. Finally, he passed out from the pain.

"Tim? Tim!" A female voice woke him up. He slowly opened his eyes to see…. Cassandra.

"Cass? What are you doing here?" Tim's memory was fuzzy and he couldn't really remember much.

"Y- you sent a message to me. You said that Ra's al Ghul had attacked and that I should come to the cave immediately. Don't you remember?" Cassandra asked, worry was filling her voice, "And what happened to you?" She looked at his wounds, the bandages were even more blood soaked. Suddenly, everything came flooding back to Tim. The Joker. Ra's al Ghul. The torture. His family coming to save him. His family…..

His eyes widened and started to well up with tears. He tried to blink them away. He couldn't cry now. He had to get them back. He needed to get them back. He needed his family. "Everyone… they were captured trying to save me. Dick, Damian, Jason, Stephanie and Barbara. Bruce…" Tim looked at the floor as one single tear fell down his cheek and on to his torn Red Robin uniform.

"We'll get them back Tim. You know that," Cassandra gripped his shoulder gently, "Now you need to heal. We can't do anything if your all beat up."

"Okay Nurse Cassie," Tim said sarcastically, "You know I'm still going to help." Cassandra rolled her eyes at him smiling for the first time since she had arrived to see him surrounded in his own blood, "We both know no one can stop a former Robin from doing what they set their mind to. All of you are just too stubborn." Cassandra teased. She had guessed Alfred had been in the middle of bandaging him because they were still loose and easy to remove. Once she finished bandaging him and removing the bullet from Tim's leg he fell asleep and she got to work on a plan.


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, the first park is** ** _really_** **cheesy, but I have never dated anyone. So, I have no** **experience in this subject.**

Barbara groaned as she lifted her head to examine the croom. It had no windows and one steel door. She tried to move, but noticed that her legs and wrists were chained to a metal chair. She winced as pain shot through her body. "Barbara? Are you okay?" Barbara looked to her left to see Dick Grayson. He had red marks around his neck.

"Dick! What happened? Where are we? Where is everyone else?" Barbara asked, concerned for her family and boyfriend.

"They separated us into different rooms once you and Stephanie arrived." Dick replied. Barbara looked at him and thought, ' _How is that even when in captivity he is so hot?'_

"I'm glad we got put together Babs, I am worried though." Even from under his mask she knew that his eyes were filled with concern. "Why?" Barbara asked, "We're together, I'm here with you."

"Exactly, we're together. Babs, I would do anything for you or anyone else in this crazy, dysfunctional family we have. What if they use that against us? I love you, Batgirl, and I know that is my weakness." Dick explained. Barbara stared at him in shock, _I love you_ , those were his words, "'Wing you are so hot when you're worried. But, you're wrong we're not each other's weaknesses," she paused making sure he was looking her in the eyes, "We're our strengths."

Dick looked at her with a childish grin on his face, "I wish I weren't chained to this chair right now. I want to kiss you so bad. This is so not whelming!"

Barbara smiled back at his childish antics, "As soon as we get out of these chains you are taking me out on a date, Boy Wonder."

"Anything you want Princess!" Dick countered. Suddenly, a scream shot through the air. Dick and Barbara froze, recognizing the voice. "Steph….."

* * *

"Jason…" Jason opened his eyes to find himself in a small windowless room with a steel door. Next to him was Damian, his face was pale, but at least his arm had stopped bleeding.

"Damian? How did we get here?" Jason asked, looking around the room for some sort of escape route.

"I- I don't know. I think we were knocked out or something," Damian answered. Now that Jason thought about it, his head ached. He tried to reach up and feel the back of it, but quickly realised that his hands and feet were bound to a metal chair. He also noticed that Damian's hands and feet were bound as well.

"Well, it doesn't matter now, we need to find a-" Jason started, but a loud scream cut him off. It sounded like it came from the next room.

Damian's eyes widened, "Stephanie…."

* * *

"Master Bruce. Bruce!" Alfred's familiar English accent rang through Bruce's ears. He groaned and look around him, they were in a room with stone walls with no windows and a large steel door.

"Alfred, where's everyone else and how did you get here?" Bruce asked. He was tied to a chair and so was Alfred.

"Ra's al Ghul attacked. He tried to get to Master Tim, but Stephanie and Barbara held him off. I hid once he had knocked out them out. I thought he had left I went to help Stephanie and Barbara, but he came back and took us all here," Alfred explained.

"And Tim?" Bruce asked.

"He must have escaped, but I don't know where he is," Alfred replied. Bruce breathed a sigh of relief, ' _At least Tim is safe_ ,' he told himself. Suddenly, a loud scream pierced the air. Bruce recognised the scream and immediately froze, all the blood draining from his face.

"Master Bruce…" Alfred's voice was barely more than a whisper, he knew who had screamed too.


	17. Chapter 17

**Warning Torture Scene (Again, Sorry)**

Pain ebbed through her body. Her head ached. Her body screamed with pain. She wanted to scream out, but her voice didn't seem to work. Suddenly, a crowbar hit her ribs and she heard a sickening crack. Finally, she let out an ear-piercing scream . Her captor let out a erie laugh, almost like he thought her pain was a joke. "Batsy will be so disappointed in you. You failed to protect one of his birds. A member of his flock. Now I will spoil all of your fun, Spoiler," The Joker laughed at his own joke before bringing down his crowbar again, colliding with Stephanie's ribs again. Another crack. He hit her again. Crack.

"Joker! That's enough! We want her alive for now," Ra's al Ghul ordered. He had entered the room so silently that the Joker hadn't even noticed he was there. The Joker let out a sigh and backed off. Stephanie coughed up blood onto the cold stone floor, she knew her ribs were broken. She could feel it, it made her want to vomit. Is this what Tim felt? The unbearable pain? "Tie her back up, Joker. We can't have her escaping like the last one," Ra's al Ghul handed the Joker some rope and left the room.

"Come here girl!" The Joker grinned evilly, pulling the rope tight. Stephanie tried to crawl away, but the pain was too great. She winced as the Joker grabbed her wrist so tightly it stung. He quickly tied her to a metal chair and left the room. He had left bruises on her wrist. Stephanie stared at the door, hoping someone would come to save her. Anyone. Her eyelids were getting heavy as her exhaustion won over her. Finally, she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Tim and Cassandra were sitting in front of the Bat-computer, when a file appeared labeled, _Enjoy_! Cassandra looked at it suspiciously, "Should we open it?" She asked, turning to Tim. He simply nodded and she clicked on the link. A video started to play and she immediately regretted her decision

"Stephanie…" Tim's voice was barely more than whisper. Tears were already streaming down his face.

"Hello Birdboy! Just thought you might enjoy to see this little chat I had with your girlfriend!" The Joker's voice rang in Tim's ears.

"No… No!" Tim muttered through his sobs. Stephanie was covered in bruises and blood was smeared across her face. The Joker stood over her, crowbar in hand. It eerily reminded Tim of his own experience with the Joker. Stephanie glanced at the camera, her eyes wide. _I love you,_ she mouthed. Then, the screen went black, but the audio was still on. Stephanie was screaming and crying as the Joker was yelling at her to sit still. Once the camera came back on Cassandra gasped and Tim began to sob even louder. Stephanie was strapped to a chair with a strange device strapped to her body. As Tim looked closer he noticed what the device was. A bomb.

"Oh Birdy!" The Joker called, "You see this bomb I attached to your precious girlfriend? Well, if you're not here in 2 hours then you might as well say goodbye to your family!" The Joker smiled, waved, then shut the camera off.

"We have to get there," Tim winced as he tried to stand. Cassandra quickly forced him to sit back down.

"We can't. Your in no condition to fight and I can't do this alone. We have no one that can help us," Cassandra explained.

"We can at least try," Tim said.

"And risk getting both of us captured? Killed? They need us and we can't help them if we're dead!" Cassandra raised her voice, her hands waving wildly as she tried to explain.

"Well then what do you suppose we do then?" Tim asked, glaring at her.

"I- I don't know," She admitted, looking down at her feet. Tim grumbled something that Cassandra couldn't hear and rolled his chair over to the Bat-computer. He quickly typed something in and a list of names popped up.

"These guys can help us. We can get our family back."


	18. Chapter 18

The Young Justice team was all gathered at the main computer in the Watchtower for their weekly movie night, with the exception of Miss Martian and Superboy who were on a date, when suddenly, a notification popped up. Wally quickly pressed the receive button and Tim popped up, "Hey guys, so um… My entire family may or may not have been kidnapped by Ra's al Ghul and the Joker and I may or may not desperately need your help. We have two hours," The connection quickly cut. The message was over.

An awkward silence filled the air around the team before Wally finally spoke up, "To the Batcave!" The newer members all pumped their fists into the air in excitement. "Call Roy, he'll probably want to be here for this," Wally whispered to Artemis. She nodded and quickly picked up her phone and called Roy.

After a while, Roy had arrived and the team headed to the zeta tubes. Wally was the first one through the zeta tube and they all slipped inside after him. Before they could take a step out of the zeta tube exit, Kaldur turned to face the team, "Don't. Touch. Anything," Kaldur spoke in his most serious tone. No one dared to defy Kaldur when he spoke like that, he was scary when he was serious. They walked over to the Batcomputer to see Tim, but he was covered in bandages that were soaked with blood and bruises were evident all over his body. "Welcome to the Batcave," The team turned to see a mysterious girl emerge from the shadows.

"Cass, don't scare them," Tim scolded. Wonder Girl looked surprised.

"Wait… Her name is Cass too?" She asked, clearly confused.

"Yes, _her_ name is Cass," The girl said sarcastically.

"Anyway, I'm glad you all came," Tim said, interrupted the two girls, "The missi-"

"Where's Jason?" Roy pushed his way through the crowd of teens that were all admiring the beauty of the Batcave.

"I was just about to get there," Tim glared at Roy, "Everyone's been kidnapped by the Joker and Ra's al Ghul," Loud gasps erupted from the team, "I need your help to get them back since I clearly can't do it myself," Tim continued, gesturing to his bloody bandages, "We have two hours before the Joker kills all of them."

The team stood there in silence, no one knowing what to do next, "Well, instead of standing here like an idiot, I'm going to go save my best friend. You can all join me later if you'd like. Take as long as you need," Wally turned to leave, but Artemis grabbed his arm.

"Whoa, Baywatch, there's no way you're going there alone," She smiled at him.

"Here," Tim interrupted the moment and handed everyone a blindfold. "Put these on. I can't exactly have you knowing where the entrance to the Batcave is."

The team put on the blindfolds and Tim leads them all to the exit of the Batcave. "Wow, this is so crash!" Bart squeals. The rest of the team sighs as Tim and Cassandra (Cain) lead them out of the Batcave.

* * *

He was watching them. He raced through the trees to catch up with them. He didn't care that the tree branches scratched his face and clothes. He needed to keep a close eye on them. They were the next part of his plan. He needed them. His _plan_ needed them.

His plan _has_ to succeed. And it will...

* * *

Stephanie sobbed. She tried to stay quiet, but she couldn't. Tim. She couldn't leave him. Not yet. There was so much they haven't done yet. Places they haven't seen. They've only been dating for a couple months. This is not how Stephanie wanted her life to end. She wanted to go to college, get married, start a family. If she died now, so would all her dreams. Tim's dreams.

Her blood soaked the floor. Her costume was in rags, almost torn to shreds. Her eyelids were getting heavy. She was too weak to keep them open. _No_! She had to stay awake, stay alive. For Tim. She tried desperately to fight back the wave of exhaustion that was crashing over her. Her eyelids became even heavier. She couldn't keep them open anymore. They started to close, the bomb ticking at her waist. ' _One hour left_ ,' she thought, ' _Tim will find me. He always does_.' Then, her eyes closed. _59 minutes..._


	19. Chapter 19

They had reached the warehouse. They burst through the doors, weapons and super powers at the ready. The quickly began to search the place. Looking in every nook and cranny, but also trying to stay as quiet as possible. They couldn't risk being heard, it was a covert mission. Eventually, they had reached a hallway, doors lined both sides.

"This could take awhile, but if you find anyone, untie them and continue searching," Cassandra whispered, Tim was next to her, he was using a crutch to hold himself up. Nothing was going to stop Tim from saving his girlfriend. She was his life. He was not about to let her go. The team nodded and they set off. She looked through about four rooms before she found Dick and Barbara.

"Cass?" Dick asked as she entered the room, Tim followed and as soon as Dick saw him, his face lit up, "Tim! You're alive!"

"Yeah, I am. Now shut up, unless you want us all killed," Tim said as Cass untied Dick and Barbara, who was mostly silent.

"St- Stephanie, I heard her scream," Barbara murmured, her eyes wide and full of pain. "Is- Is she-"

Tim's face darkened, "No, but if we don't get to her soon, she will be," Barbara nodded grimly and the left the room to meet up with the others.

They met up in the hallway with the rest of the team they had found Jason, Damian, Alfred, and Bruce, all of which looked worried. The only room they haven't checked now was the one at the end of the hallway.

"Stephanie…" Tim muttered, using his crutch, he quickly made his way to the door. He flung it open to see Stephanie, battered, bloody, and unconscious. The bomb attached to her began to beep rapidly, the clock's timer reading, _1 minute_. Tim immediately rushed over to her and pulled pliers out of his secret pocket. He eyed the wires attached to the bomb a blue one and a red one. One stopped the bomb, and one activated it immediately, killing everyone inside. Which one was the right one? _45 seconds…_ Stephanie's eyes fluttered open.

"Tim…" Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Tim's eyes quickly welled up with tears, "Steph, I- I don't know how to disarm the bomb. I- I could kill us all," Tim cried. _25 seconds…_

"Tim, I know you will choose the right one. You're the smartest guy I know. You can do this," Stephanie encouraged him.

 _15 seconds…_

"What if I can't do it?" Tim asked, tears rapidly falling down his face.

 _10 seconds…_

"Then just know that I love you, no matter what," Stephanie smiled, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.

 _5…_

 _4…_

 _3…_

 _2…_

 _1..._

* * *

He watched them as a figure appeared behind him. "What do we do now, Ra's al Ghul?"

"Nothing, Joker. This is simply the end of the beginning," Ra's al Ghul replied before slipping into the shadows and disappearing.


	20. Chapter 20

Silence. Everything was still. No one dared to break it. Tim was holding the pliers, the red wire cut in half. "Tim," Stephanie smiled warmly, "You did it. I knew you could," Tim started to cry as he leaned up to Stephanie's beaten and bruised face and kissed her split lips. "I love you, Steph," Tim told her as he broke away from their kiss.

"I know you idiot," Stephanie told him, "Now untie me!" Tim blushed and went to work to take the bomb off of her. Once the bomb was detached he began to untie the ropes that bound her to the chair. It took barely thirty seconds and Stephanie was free. She stood quickly, but began to fall. She let out a groan as Tim swiftly caught her, wincing at his own injuries.

"Not to interrupt, but I think we should probably get back to the cave," Dick told them. The couple blushed as they noticed that there was around twenty heroes watching them.

"Yeah, yeah. We should do that," Tim said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come on," Dick said, gesturing for the team to follow him. He helped Tim and Stephanie out of the crowded room into the main part of the warehouse.

The were just about to leave when a dark shadow leaped down from the rafters, landing on Impulse. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Bart!" Jaime cried. He immediately flew into the air and used his energy manipulation to fire blue blasts at the figure, but it was too fast. It zipped around the confused heroes and leaped up to kick Jaime in the face. Jaime fell to the ground with a groan, but he quickly got back up. Now every hero was in a fighting stance. Then, more black figures flooded into the warehouse, surrounding the heroes.

"It's the ninjas!" Wally yelled.

"It's the League of Assassins you insolent!" Damian grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Less talky, more fighty!" Artemis yelled, firing arrows at the ninjas.

"Guys, get whelmed. We're fighting ninjas," Dick told them, using his escrima sticks to smack an assassin across the face.

"League of Assassins," Damian grumbled again.

"I'll get Tim, Stephanie, and Bart out of here," Bruce yelled over the fighting, "You guys stay here. Consider it training. Cass follow me." He lifted the unconscious Bart onto his shoulder and helped up, with many protests, Tim and Stephanie. Bruce lead them out of the warehouse and lead them to the Batmobile. "Stay. Here," He ordered. Then he ran back inside the warehouse to finish the battle.

* * *

When Bruce came back in, the rest of the heroes had already taken out half of the ninjas, but there were still about a hundred left. "Come to join the party?" Dick chuckled, kicking multiple ninjas in the face at the same time.

"Tim, Bart, and Stephanie are safe. Let's just focus on defeating these ninjas for now," Bruce punched a ninja in the face and it crumpled to the ground at his feet.

A little while later, all the ninjas were down. Then, clapping. Someone was clapping. "Well done. Well done indeed," Ra's al Ghul came out of the shadows. He walked towards the group of heroes, stopping only to move an unconscious ninja out of the way with his foot.

"What are you doing here, Grandfather?" Damian spat, fury reflecting in his eyes.

Dick stepped protectively in front of his younger brother, "Damian's already told you that he wasn't going to join the League, not again," He glared at Ra's al Ghul.

"Oh, I wasn't wanting him to join the League. I was wanting a distraction," Ra's al Ghul smiled. Then, the realization set in over the heroes. All that they had been through was a distraction. Bruce stepped forward he was giving Ra's al Ghul a murderous look. He looked at the young justice team, "Leave, this is a family matter, Alfred you too," Batman told them, not taking his eyes off of Ra's. The team looked at Dick, who gave him a quick nod. Ra's al Ghul watched as the team filed out of the room. Jason and Roy quickly fist bumped and Roy gave him a worried look, "Don't get hurt you big idiot," To which Jason smiled and nodded. They all glanced at Bruce, Dick, Jason, Barbara, and Damian worriedly one more time before they left.

Alfred was the last to leave, "Stay safe," he told them before he too left the room.


	21. Chapter 21

Tim watched as all of the Young Justice team and Alfred came out of the warehouse. Stephanie was sleeping on his shoulder and Bart was laying in the backseat, only stirring every once in a while. Bruce had put them in the car around thirty minutes ago, but it had felt like forever. A few minutes after Bruce had left them in the car Cass had found a first aid kit and started to bandage Stephanie, but the majority of her wounds would have to be treated at the Batcave.

Tim watched the team approach the sleek black car and he moved Stephanie's head off of his shoulder. She groaned but fell asleep again against the window. He quickly opened the door and stepped out to see the teens waiting for him. "Where's Bart?" Wally, Kaldur, and Jaime questioned at the same time.

Tim laughed at the their worry and responded, "He's out cold in the car with Steph. Where's my family?" Tim asked, other heroes' worry now evident in his voice.

Artemis was the one to speak up this time, "They are still inside," she paused waiting to see his reaction before continuing, "With Ra's al Ghul."

Tim's worry turned to panic, the memories of the last week rushing back. Tim's masked eyes widened. Ra's al Ghul was still here. He had to keep his girlfriend safe. He had to keep his family safe. Tim started to run, "Watch Steph!" he asked at his Alfred. "Artemis and Kaldur watch Roy and Wally," He added at the sight of Roy and Wally beginning to run after him.

* * *

"What do you want Ra's al Ghul?" Batman asked as Ra's al Ghul stepped farther out of the shadows.

"Figure it out, Detective," Ra's al Ghul smirked evilly earning many glares from the heroes in front of him. Jason's knuckles were white from him clenching them so hard.

"Why did you team with the Joker again?" Jason spat, you could almost feel his glare through the red hood covering his face. He had two guns pointed at Ra's al Ghul even though he knew that Ra's al Ghul could dodge them easily.

Ra's al Ghul's smirk grew into a sneer, "If anyone can figure that out it's you, Jason. We both know that last time was a mistake. It won't happen again." he said in a monotone voice. Dick was still standing protectively in front of Damian, both of which were giving Ra's al Ghul the full on batglare. Ra's al Ghul looked from Jason to Dick to Damian. "I see you now need your family to keep you safe, Damian. They have turned you soft. I can see from our last duel that much." He told Damian giving him a very disappointed look. Dick started to shake with anger and looked like he was about to yell at Ra's when the door slammed open and Tim came running in. "You!" Ra's said with surprise written all over his face.

"Surprised to see me?" Tim smirked, pain hiding in his masked eye.

"How are you- I looked everywhere for you!" Ra's al Ghul snarled.

"Not everywhere," Tim said matter-of-factly. He joined the rest of his family in front of Ra's al Ghul.

"I told you to stay in the car," Bruce whispered angrily.

"Did you really expect me to listen to you?" Tim laughed a little, then winced.

"Enough!" Ra's al Ghul shouted, interrupting the heroes, "This ends now!" He unsheathed his blade and moved into a fighting stance.

Damian unsheathed a katana from who-knows-where and charged, but Ra's al Ghul dodged his initial attack. "I think not, Grandfather," Damian spat.

"Hey, Lil D, save some of the fight for the rest of us!" Dick joked as he blocked an attack with his escrima sticks.

Jason and Bruce followed them into the battle, both fighting with full-on rage. "You can't beat us all Ra's," Bruce growled.

A voice called out from the other side of the room, "That was never his plan though, right? This was still apart of the distraction," All eyes went to Tim, who was leaning against a wall with a confused look on his face.

"Well done detective," Ra's al Ghul praised, "You weren't supposed to be here though. I knew you would figure it out,"

"That's why you tried to take me out," Tim stated.

Ra's al Ghul nodded, "Batman wasn't able to see past his rage and look at the big picture once you were taken,"

Bruce's face flashed with realization, "What are you trying to do?"

Tim's once confused face was cold as he limped forward and looked Ra's right in the face, "Isn't it obvious? He's trying to tear us apart. He's trying to get us become so emotional that we can't do out jobs. The first part of the plan was to weaken us,"

Dick laughed grimmly, "Then his plan's failing,"

All eyes turned to Dick, who was clenching his escrima sticks tightly to prevent himself from throwing them at Ra's al Ghul's face. Damian was standing next to Dick, his katana dripping with blood from a wound on Ra's al Ghul's side. "I agree, this family is stronger than you think, Grandfather. They don't make me weak." Damian added, venom dripping from his words.

Jason looked at Damian and smirked, "As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Golden Boy and Demon."

The others were shocked at Damian and Jason's words, and glanced over at them. Pride could be seen through Bruce's mask as he looked at his two more _problematic_ sons. "That was a very _sweet_ speech," Ra's interrupted, "but unfortunately I have to take my leave."

Ra's al Ghul turned to leave. Bruce growled at him, "Where do you think you're going?"  
"I am leaving. There is nothing left to do here." Ra's al Ghul boredly stated.

Damian started toward his grandfather, but was stopped when twenty more assassins appeared and blocked his path. "It's the ninjas again!" Dick yelled.

Damian scoffed and rolled his eyes as he mumbled under his breath, "League of Assassins, is it that hard?"

Jason nodded his head in agreement as he shot two assassins in their legs. They quickly disposed of the League members, but Ra's al Ghul was already gone. Bruce scowled this and turned back to his children, "I guess we should go back home."

From behind them they heard a crash. They turned around to find Tim on the ground, his face twisted in pain. "Tim!" They all exclaimed as they ran to check on him.

Jason got there first and started to look for why he had collapsed. "Dang it Replacement!" He yelled as he found what was wrong.

The rest of the family saw the reason for Tim's collapse and gasped. The stitches in his leg had torn, leaving the bullet hole in his leg open. Blood started to pour from the wound. Jason reaches into his jacket and pulled out a roll of bandages. Dick and Damian were trying to wake Tim up, and failing. Bruce called Leslie and Alfred, telling them to get ready for them to bring Tim in. "Why did you have to go play hero, Timbo?" Dick asked Tim's unconscious body.

Once Jason had stopped the bleeding they carried him to the batmobile. They were shocked to find Young Justice waiting for them, "What happened in there?" A now conscious Bart asked once he saw Tim being carried by Dick.

"You need to leave now. We have to get Red Robin to a doctor." Bruce growled.

Jason rolled his eyes, "That means thank you in 'Batspeak'"

Kaldur gave the team a nod and the Bioship appeared. They quickly boarded the ship and flew off.

"Is that Tim?" A new voice asked, panicked.

The family turned to find Cass stepping out of the Batmoblie. "Unfortunately, yes," Damian replied.

Cass quickly ran over to check on him herself, "Let's get him in the car. Then, you will tell me what happened."

Dick sat him in the backseat where Stephanie was still asleep. They all piled in the car, and set off to get Tim to the Batcave. Tim's face was pale and his breathing was uneven, but it was better than it had been. The family looked somberly at Tim and Stephanie. They both were ten shades paler than they had been a week ago. "This shouldn't be happening to them," Jason whispered.

Everyone was silent.


	22. Chapter 22

The Bat-Family was back at the Batcave now. Tim and Stephanie were in the infirmary, Alfred and Leslie were tending to them. The family all showing nerves with tapping feet and fingers. Suddenly, Leslie appeared into the Batcave's main room. "They're going to be okay," she told them.

Dick jumped out of his chair and started bouncing like an impatient two-year-old. "Can we see them?" He asked.

Leslie nodded but warned, "They're still asleep, but be prepared, they don't look so great."

They all rushed to the medical division of the cave. Bruce was in the front closely followed by Dick and Jason. Damian just walked slowly. "Tt, impatient fools," he scoffed, but as soon as no one was watching he to started to run after them.

Jason let out a profanity as soon as he saw Tim and Stephanie's condition. "Language!" Alfred scolded at him from Tim's bedside.

Cass ran to Steph while Dick and Bruce ran to see Tim. Jason watched awkwardly from the doorway, he still wasn't completely comfortable with his place in the family. It had only been a year since he had been invited back to Wayne Manor. He hadn't accepted the offer immediately in fear of messing up his chance with his family, but after a patrol he had been severely injured. Tim found him and brought him home. Since then he'd bonded with the little bird. It hurt to see his little brother and sister on the medical beds, barely recognizable. "Master Jason are you alright?" Alfred asked.

Jason smiled stiffly. Then, Damian walked in although everyone could tell he'd been running. "Damian Wayne, running in the Batcave," Jason gasped, "Scandal!"

Damian glared at Jason, "Stop your teasing, their is a much more pressing matter, we shouldn't be distracted."

Dick shushed them and pointed to Tim, whose eyelids were starting to flutter open. "Wh-a-at, what happened?" Tim asked.

The whole family rushed over to see him. They all started telling the story at once until Alfred scolded them. Tim gave a small chuckle that was cut off by coughing. Once he caught his breath he asked, "Dick what happened?"

Dick started to explain the talk with Ra's, how Tim had collapsed, and how they brought him back to the batcave. Once Dick was done he he flicked Tim in the head. "That's what you get for not telling us that you were injured!" Dick ranted, "We thought you were dead! You could have died!"

"Sorry…" Tim whispered bashfully.

"You better be sorry, Timbo," Jason added.

Damian scoffed and walked over to Stephanie's bed. "No one in this family can properly take care of themselves," He whispered.

Cass had also walked over to Stephanie's bed after giving Tim a hug. She nodded, hearing Damian's prior two former assassins sat on the chairs next to Stephanie's bed enjoying the peace and quiet. Over at the other bed, Tim was very droopy, barely able to keep his eyes open. "How's Steph?" He asked sleepily.

"She'll be fine, Replacement," Jason assured.

Tim flashed a smile, "Good, good," He then drifted back off to sleep.

"Goodnight Tim," Bruce whispered as he made his way to Damian's side to see Stephanie.

As Bruce approached the bedside, Damian glanced at him, "She's doing fine, Father," He informed the man. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some more patrolling to do," Damian pushed past Bruce, but Bruce quickly grabbed his arm.

"Damian," Bruce paused, trying to find the right words to say, "You don't have to be so closed off around us. We're your family, you can talk to us. To me."

Damian froze. Then he snarled, "Tt, I am _not_ closed off! I do what I want!"

Damian yanked his arm out of his father's grasp and stomped out of the room.

Jason and Dick quickly walked over to Bruce, "What was that about?" Jason asked.

"Nothing, but Dick, maybe you should go talk to him. You two are close- or at least, closer," Bruce said. He looked almost… defeated?

"Sure thing," Dick said quickly. He then left the room to go find Damian.

* * *

"Go away, Grayson!" Damian yelled. He was on the roof of the Wayne Enterprises building when Dick approached him.

"You know I can't do that, Dami. Why don't you come back to the manor? Tell us what's wrong," Dick offered comfortingly, walking closer to Damian. He went over and sat next to the small boy, putting his arm around Damian's shoulders. Dick quickly noticed that Damian was trembling slightly, "Damian?"

Damian looked up at Dick, tears streaming down his face. Neither of them had to say anything because Dick brought Damian into a large hug, holding him tightly against his chest. "I-I don't want to lose any of you," Damian sobbed, his voice quivering.

It was times like this he realised Damian was only a kid. He was a thirteen year old who had never been allowed to be normal. Being forced to kill people day after day as a toddler, his father being Batman. It was a lot to handle, even for someone as strong as Damian. As soon as the moment started though it ended. Damian stood up wiping away his tears, then he quickly pulled out his katana, pointing it directly at Dick. "Tell anyone about this, and you're dead," He warned.

"Sure thing, Demon Spawn," Dick chuckled, pushing Damian's blade away. The young assassin quickly sheathed it. Then, the pair heard sirens coming from the streets below. "Come on, let's go," Dick beckoned for Damian to come with him and together, they leaped from the building, grappling their way down.

* * *

"Where are they?" Jason asked, worried, "No matter how far Demon Spawn ran Dick would have found him and brought him back already," It had been almost three hours since Dick went to find Damian and the tension was growing in the Batcave. Tim was now fully awake, but not able to fully stand and walk yet. Stephanie was still asleep, however, but Alfred assured them that she would wake up soon.

"You're right," Bruce said, a sense of panic washed over him and he ran to the Batcomputer, activating Dick and Damian's trackers. The computer showed that the two boys were in an abandoned warehouse near a dock. The two dots weren't moving. "Jason!" Bruce called, "Get in here now!"

"What'd you find Old Man?" Jason asked.

"Suit up, I found the boys," Bruce told him as he left to become Batman.

* * *

Dick woke up in a small dark room, a large spotlight shining in his face. He couldn't remember how he got there. Dick could vaguely feel ropes keeping him bound to the chair. "Robin?" Dick whispered.

"I'm here," A reply came from the across the room.

Damian was under a second spotlight, obviously frustrated. Damian kept talking, "Do you remember how we got here?"

"No, but have you tried getting out of your bonds yet?" Dick asked hopefully as he tried to find a weakness in the rope.

"I remember now, we were fighting Crane," Damian groaned.

Suddenly, Scarecrow appeared from a dark corner, holding two large vials filled with a strange green gas. _Fear toxin!_

"What do you want Scarecrow?" Dick asked, clearly bored.

Scarecrow glared at him before smirking. "I wouldn't be so smug, Nightwing. Ra's al Ghul himself helped with this serum. These new toxins will work on even you two, and show you your deepest fear," Crane explained eerily.

Damian quivered slightly at the mention of his grandfather. It had only been one day since the events in the warehouse, could they not have a small break from this madness? Of course not, they were a family of orphans and assassins, trying to live a normal day life when at night they were a family of masked vigilantes. Life never gave them a break. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to test these new toxins out," Scarecrow laughed wickedly, "and now I have the perfect test subjects!"

Dick glared at the retreating form of Scarecrow. Once he was gone he whispered, "You free yet, Robin?"

Damian had been sawing at the rope the whole time and after a few seconds the ropes fell off the chair and he rushed over to help Dick. As soon as they were free however, a voice came on over the intercoms in the corners of the room, "You can't leave yet birds. I still have a test to do."

The room fell silent as green gasses started to come from pipes in the floor. Dick reached for his gas mask from his utility belt, only to find it was gone. Damian had obviously noticed this too because he was running toward the door. Once he reached it he realized it was sealed shut. "Dang it!" Damian shouted.

The gas quickly filled their lungs and they fell unconscious.


	23. Chapter 23

Bruce and Jason quickly found their way to the warehouse. They were now on top of a nearby building, keeping watch for any sign of movement. "Their trackers still say they're inside," Bruce informed Jason, "We need to go in."

"No duh, Old Man," Jason said matter-of-factly, "Now come on, we should go inside and find them," Jason leaped from the building, Bruce following close behind. They reached the large front doors and quickly forced them open. As soon as they opened the doors, a familiar green gas leaked out.

"Fear toxin!" Bruce shouted. He quickly put on a gas mask and ran over to Jason. Luckily, Jason was wearing his mask so the filter in it blocked out the toxin.

After most of the gas had dissipated, Bruce and Jason entered the warehouse. Quickly, they found the unconscious bodies of Dick and Damian.

Bruce ran to Dick and Jason followed checking on Damian. "Come on, Demon Spawn! Wake up!" Jason yelled as he shook Damian. Jason finally gave up and slapped Damian across the face. Damian sat straight up and immediately, his eyes widened. He quickly back away from Jason, his hand hovering near his katana, ready to attack.

Bruce also was able to wake up Dick, however, his reaction was almost identical to Damian's.

"Dick? Dick! Snap out of it!" Bruce frantically shook Dick's shoulders.

"Not good enough. Not good enough," Dick chanted under his breath.

"Jason! What's going on?" Bruce called to Jason who was trying to comfort a resistant Damian.

"I think I can answer that," Scarecrow said as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Scarecrow, of course!" Jason scowled.

"What do you want?" Bruce asked.

"I just wanted to test my new fear toxin. It was given to me by Ra's al Ghul himself. It causes even the most fearless souls to quiver, quite like the little birds," Scarecrow explained.

"Why you little-" Jason started, but Bruce quickly interrupted.

"Why? What do you and all the other villains want with us?" Bruce asked angrily.

Scarecrow answered, "To answer that you will have to ask Ra's himself."

"Well then why isn't Ra's here? Is he too scared from the last time we fought him?" Jason taunted.

Scarecrow grinned, "He doesn't have to be here anyway. You'll be too occupied fighting your little birds," Scarecrow pointed behind Jason and Bruce where Dick and Damian were in a fighting stance, their weapons out.

"Nightwing. Robin. What are you doing?" Bruce asked, trying to hide the panic behind his voice.

"We won't be pushed around any longer!" The two boys shouted at the same time.

"Don't make us hurt you!" Jason begged, his hands were hovering over his guns, ready to take a warning shot at any moment.

"You can't replace me, Grandfather!" Damian yelled. He then charged at Jason, raising his katana.

"I'm tired of not being enough for you!" Dick yelled.

Jason, who was dodging lethal attacks from Damian, shouted at Bruce, "What is going on?!"

"I think they see us as their enemy," Bruce stated as he dodged a kick aimed at him by Dick.

"No, duh! I think Robin over here thinks I'm his grandfather!" Jason said, clearly done with this nonsense.

"Well that's," Bruce paused, looking for the right word, "interesting…"

Jason and Bruce continued to dodge their blows. Jason had several spots that were bleeding from Damian's constant attacks. Finally, after one last attack from Damian, Jason was able to strike Damian in the head with the grip of his gun. Damian collapsed, unconscious. Bruce, on the other hand, was stilling battling with Dick. Dick would kick at Bruce, but Bruce would immediately block it with his arm. "A little help here, Jason!" Bruce called.

Jason was beginning to lift Damian up onto his shoulder when he pulled out his gun and fired at Dick, hitting him in the leg. Dick fell to the ground, screaming loudly.

"JASON!" Bruce yelled in his angriest voice, "WHY WOULD DO THAT?"

"What?" Jason said nonchalantly, "You said to help. This is me helping."

"This is not helpful!" Bruce gestured to Dick, who was shaking with pain. Bruce quickly ran to Dick, cradling him in his arms, " Are you okay?" Bruce asked frantically, looking over the wound in his leg.

Dick was silent, he only looked at the ceiling, a pained look on his face.

"Come on, Dick. Let's get out of here," Bruce said gently as he helped Dick to his uninjured leg.

All four of them then left the warehouse, heading as quickly as they could back to the manor.

"What about Scarecrow?" Jason asked as they headed down to the Batcave.

"We'll worry about him later, first we should take care of these two," Bruce replied, nodded his head towards Dick and Damian. Once they reached the infirmary, Alfred, Cass, and Barbara came to greet them.

"What happened this time?" Barbara asked. She looked worried as she helped a wide-eyed Dick to a bed.

"Scarecrow," Jason answered, handing Damian over to Alfred, who placed him on a bed next to Dick's. "He used a new, stronger, fear toxin."

"So then… who knocked out Damian and shot Dick in the leg?" Cass asked quizzically.

"Jason did," Bruce grumbled. He then sat down next to Dick, holding his hand as Alfred patched up his leg.

Dick still didn't say a word. He looked straight ahead, not even seeming to acknowledge Bruce or Alfred or, frankly, anyone in the room.

Bruce glared at everyone in the room, even Tim and Stephanie who were now awake and moving around. They took this as a sign to leave. After everyone left, except for Damian, who was still sound asleep, Bruce squeezed Dick's hand. "Tell me what's wrong. Please!" Bruce pleaded, "I need to know what you're going through before I can help you."

Dick moved a little, but still didn't say anything.

"I know- I know I've messed up. I know I haven't been there when you needed me most, but please, I'm begging you, talk to me," Bruce's voice was now barely more than a whisper.

Dick stirred even more and eventually turned to look at Bruce, "I'm sorry," He whispered, tears starting to form in his eyes, "I'm sorry I'm not good enough. I couldn't protect Damian. I couldn't even protect myself from getting captured by Scarecrow! I'm useless. What's the point of me still being here? Me still being a part of this family?" Tears were now slowly making their way down Dick's face.

"Oh Dick… You'll always be good enough," Bruce said gently, "you'll always be apart of this family, no matter what, and you're not useless, you never were. Don't ever think of yourself like that," Bruce leaned towards Dick and wrapped his arms around him, embracing the young man in a hug.

* * *

"You can come in now," Alfred said to the rest of the Bat-family who were waiting outside the infirmary. They all entered to see Bruce and Dick smiling and whispering to each other. Damian was beginning to slowly wake up, though a large bump had now formed on the top of his head.

"What the heck was that for, Todd?" Damian scowled once Jason entered the room smirking.

"What? I thought it was fun!" Jason started before noticing Alfred's look, "I mean, sorry."

"Whatever," Damian grumbled. He then touched his head and winced, "How hard did you hit me?"

"Hard enough to get through your thick head," Tim butted in.

"No one asked you, Drake," Damian glared at Tim, daring him to interrupt again.

"Anyway," Jason started again, "How's Dick," This time he was speaking to Bruce who had just joined the group.

"He's fine, just needed to be patched up a little. No thanks to you," Bruce scowled, but he was secretly very happy.

"Master Bruce, I think we should let Master Dick and Master Damian rest. Also, I need to change Master Tim and Miss Stephanie's bandages," Alfred then shooed everyone out of the room.


	24. Chapter 24

Once Alfred had shut the door to the infirmary, Jason grabbed Bruce's arm and led him to a corner, far away from everyone else. "What really happened to Dick?" He demanded, "He looked scared, like- like he was terrified of- of you."

"No that-" Bruce started.

"Don't tell me it was nothing. 'Cause it wasn't. This has happened to him before, hasn't it."

"Yes, but it was never this bad."

"What does he see."

"Him failing. Not being good enough for me or for this family. It destroys him. He believes everything the fear toxin shows him," Bruce let in. He couldn't lie to Jason forever. Jason was too smart for that. He would find out eventually.

"Why couldn't you just tell me, tell them," Jason said, gesturing to the other heroes.

"Dick thought that if they knew, they would think he was weak. That he couldn't handle being Nightwing, being a part of this family," Bruce looked at his feet, "He's terrified of failing, always has. I constantly have to remind him that he's good enough. That he's a part of this family. It's tough on him. He always feels like he has to be there for everyone else. To take care of them, to be strong. But, no one ever cares for him," Bruce sighed. He felt a weight lift from his chest.

"Bruce…" Jason couldn't find the right words. Dick, Nightwing, a person he used to look up to. A person he thought had no weaknesses, no flaws. It made total sense now that he heard it. How could he not have seen how insecure the man was? How could he have been so blind? So- so heartless and selfish? He could have been there when Dick needed him, but instead, he was off smoking and getting drunk. He even went so far as to kill people, even after everything Bruce had taught him. He only did those things to make everyone mad. To make everyone notice him. The only person who ever came to check on him anymore was Dick. But Dick never had anyone to check on him…

"I'm sorry, Jason," Bruce said, laying his hand on Jason's shoulder.

Jason flinched at the touch of Bruce's palm and lightly pushed it away, "Just- just go talk to them. Explain it to them. Dick will understand," And with that, Jason left Bruce in the corner and went to join the rest of the family.

Bruce followed shortly after. "You may have noticed that Dick was a little… off. I would like to explain it to you, but… it's not my place. Dick should be the one to tell you all," Bruce walked away, back into the infirmary.

"Oof…" Jason grumbled under his breath, "Wrong move, Old Man."

* * *

"You what!" Dick yelled, "That was my secret Bruce! They look up to me. If they see that I'm weak…" Dick lowered his voice to a whisper, barely able to hold back tears.

"I thought you would want to tell them…" Bruce said quietly, obviously regretting his decision.

"No, Bruce! Why would I want to tell them!" Dick's face turned red with anger.

"I-I…" Bruce started, but then he straightened up, narrowing his eyes. "Dick, nobody in this house cares if you have flaws or weaknesses. You've done enough for them. They will always stand beside you, but just this once, let them help you." Bruce then placed his hand on Dick's uninjured leg.

Just as Bruce spoke, Jason burst into the room, the rest of the family right behind him, "Oh, I'm sorry, did I just ruin a moment?"

"Yes, yes you did," Dick grumbled.

"Whoops…" Jason said, shrugging, "But don't worry Dickiebird, I already told them everything."

"Thanks, Jason, that's very helpful," Dick said sarcastically.

"Your welcome," Jason smiled.

Damian quickly interrupted, "Why did you not tell us?"

Damian was pouting and looking almost furious. Tim looked empathetic for an unknown reason that Dick didn't know. The rest of the family just looked concerned. "I didn't know how you would react…" Dick replied, "I thought you might look at me differently."

Damian blurted, "I saw my training in the league. Mainly the sessions with my grandfather."

They stared at Damian in shock. He never talked about his training with his grandfather, ever. "If there is anyone you should be looking at differently it's me. I have killed since I was born. I have more kills than all of the villains we hunt down and throw in jail. You more than anyone, Grayson, should know that we wouldn't judge you."

Damian was scowling at Dick, but slightly shaking. Everyone smirked except Dick, who looked guilty. "Sorry Little Wing," Dick started, "I-I guess I was… afraid. Not only was I afraid of the villains we've faced, but I was afraid of myself." Dick looked at Bruce, "I don't want to be _the_ Batman. I want to be myself, I don't want to have to fill in your shoes 'cause I know- I know I'll never be good enough."

The room was silent, no one knew what to say. After a few more seconds, Bruce spoke up. "Dick, you don't have to fill my shoes, I'm not saying you have to be Batman. You can be yourself, Nightwing, Dick, my son…" Dick smiled slightly.

Jason started to slow clap and wiped away fake tears, "So beautiful!"

Tim reached over and smacked him. "Don't ruin this for them. They're finally bonding over something useful!"

Jason just laughed and gestured for them to continue. Dick joined his laughing and gave a sorry look to Bruce, "Well that was nice, but we should probably move on. Thanks again to someone." He looked pointedly at Jason.

"Whoops!" Jason said as he walk out of the room, "I'm going home."

In the distance they heard a motorcycle start and drive out of the cave.


End file.
